The Happiest Places to Work in 2017

The latest World Happiness Report from the United Nation’s might help you whittle down your options – unless you like being miserable in your job, that is!

Since it launched in 2012, the report has received widespread media attention. Experts are beginning to argue that it is a much more accurate representation of social progress than standard economic indicators.

After all, is your decision to live in a certain country more likely to be based upon GDP, inflation and the unemployment rate, or survey data on how much its workforce enjoys work and how much free time they have?

Rankings are, in part, generated by considering the main factors the authors believe support happiness; caring, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income and good governance.

Additionally, the report uses data from the Gallup World Poll; a massive survey covering inhabitants of 150 countries. The survey only has one question, which asks respondents to say on which rung of a ladder they would place themselves if the first rung represented the worst possible life and the tenth rung represented the best possible life.

Although the rankings are not based upon working conditions per say, it still provides useful fodder for the aspiring expat.

As report authors Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and George Ward observe; ‘Since the majority of people spend much of their lives at work, it is critically important to gain a solid understanding of the role that employment and the workplace play in shaping happiness for individuals and communities around the world.’

In fact, a heat map of the countries with the highest levels of job satisfaction correlates strongly with the happiness index. And you might be surprised to learn (once you dive into the list of happiest nations on the planet) money has less to do with it than you might think.

1. Norway

An average rating of 7.537 in the Gallup poll helped Norway rise from fourth spot in 2016 to take the crown as the world’s happiest nation this year; as if they needed something else to be chirpy about.

They say money doesn’t buy happiness, and as you read this article you’ll probably notice a correlation that suggests this is indeed the case. Using the latest data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), we can delve further into how citizens of each of these ten nations rate certain aspects of domestic life.

The top three countries, all Nordics, rank extremely well for jobs (which, it should be noted, does take into account average earnings), life satisfaction and work-life balance - but are downright average in terms of disposable incomes and personal wealth.

So, while Norway gets 8.7 on the work-life balance index, an impressive score of 9.0 for jobs, and tops the list for life satisfaction with a perfect 10.0, it comes just below average on the income front with a score of 4.2. In fact, the earnings measure is where Norway performs the worst - by a strong margin, too.

Norwegians have a strong community spirit, driven by dugnad; the desire to help people without getting paid for it.

2. Denmark

Competitive residents of Denmark may, ironically, be unhappy about only being the second-happiest nation in the world. What seems like a notable accolade for other nations could be a bit of an embarrassment for the Danes, considering this is only the second time since 2012 that Denmark hasn’t taken the crown in the happiness listings.

Competitive residents of Denmark may, ironically, be unhappy about only being the second-happiest nation in the world. What seems like a notable accolade for other nations could be a bit of an embarrassment for the Danes, considering this is only the second time since 2012 that Denmark hasn’t taken the crown in the happiness listings.

Denmark does well on many of the OECD’s Better Life sub-indices, although those looking to move there to work might like to note its marginally below-average income score of 4.4. On the jobs front, however, Denmark ranks fifth.

Danes don’t seem at all disheartened by their lower disposable incomes, however, as the country comes third on the life satisfaction index with a score of 9.7. This is perhaps thanks to its work-life balance, which at 9.1 is the second best rated of the OECD countries.

Part of the reason Danes could be so happy is because of their work culture. Bosses trust their workers to manage their time well and get everything done on time. This means, come the end of the work day, offices are quickly deserted.

3. Iceland

An average score of 7.504 from its citizens puts Iceland in third place this year - the same as in 2016 but a place lower than 2015.

From an employment perspective, Iceland offers a mixed bag. It tops the OECD rankings for jobs with a score of 9.7, but in terms of income it is decidedly average, resting at 4.6. It is also the worst in the UN’s top ten in terms of work-life balance, getting a score of just 5.5 from the OECD surveys.

Despite this, the inhabitants of Iceland are very content with their situation. The country comes fourth on the life satisfaction survey thanks to a respectable score of 9.6. Good ratings for safety and health, as well as the number two spot on the community scale, help keep things looking rosy for those in Iceland.

It’s also a great place for those who are environmentally-conscious, as the country derives nearly 85% of its energy from renewable sources and comes in second place on the environment index, just -0.3 below Norway.

4. Switzerland

Coming in at number four is 2015 champion Switzerland, with an average life evaluation score of 7.494 from Gallup, although in the OECD survey the assessment was even more positive at 7.6. Those looking to expatriate for work might value it higher, however, given how well it ranks on the OECD’s Better Life Index for employment.

With a score of 7.9, Switzerland just loses out to the United States in terms of income and is only pipped to the top spot in the jobs index by Iceland.

Switzerland also scores well for community and education, comes in an impressive fourth-place on the healthcare index, achieves a whopping 9.9 on the life satisfaction index and 9.7 on the safety index; losing out only to Norway in both instances. Work-life balance is more average at 7.6.

As well as performing well in the Gallup and OECD surveys, Switzerland also does well in Mercer’s 2017 Quality of Living Rankings. Measured by city, rather than nation, the list of the global top ten best cities include an impressive three Swiss cities; Zurich (2nd), Geneva (8th) and Basel (10th, tied with Sydney).

5. Finland

Holding firm in fifth place is Finland, with a score of 7.469. Looking at the OECD’s Better Life Index, it is not hard to see why the Finns are so chirpy; they rank their community, environment, safety and overall life satisfaction very highly. Finland tops the charts for education.

Those thinking about their work life might have noticed a lack of employment-related victories in that list. Finland ranks in the bottom half in terms of income, scoring 3.7, while clocking in a fairly middling score of 7.8 on the jobs index. The country does better in terms of work-life balance at 8.1.

This is because just 6% of men and 2% of women work 50 hours a week or more, meaning the number of employees working what the OECD terms ‘very long hours’ is only 4% compared to the OECD average of 13%.

6. The Netherlands

Moving up one spot to sixth place this year is the Netherlands, where residents rate their lives at 7.377, which is in line with the OECD score of 7.3.

Recent data from the Dutch national statistics office supports the view that people in the Netherlands are a rather upbeat bunch, with 88% reporting themselves to be happy and just 3% stating they are unhappy. Levels of happiness in the Netherlands have remained stable since the current method of measuring positivity was introduced in 2013.

In terms of work-life balance, the Netherlands tops the OECD index with a score of 9.4; hardly a shock considering only 0.5% work ‘very long’ hours.

The Netherlands is in the top five OECD countries in terms of housing and the top ten for income and jobs. Moving there requires you to obtain a Single Permit, which can be applied for by yourself or sometimes your employer. This combines a residence permit and a work permit into one visa.

7. Canada

Any country that can achieve its worst happiness ranking since the World Happiness Report started in 2012 and still end up in 7th place is a country to be taken seriously. Well, light-heartedly might be more in keeping with the theme here.

Perhaps celebrating its 150th birthday as a unified nation in 2017 might help lift Canadian spirits even higher?

A survey by internet jobsite Monster found Canadian workers to be the happiest in the world, with almost a quarter loving their job so much they would even do it for free! Perhaps not something to mention to the boss…

The labour market in Canada provides plenty of variety. Some of the highest-paid and in-demand jobs include engineering, teaching, marketing analysts, healthcare professionals (including nurses, doctors and those working in mental health) and primary production managers.

8. New Zealand

New Zealand held on to eighth spot again this year, a position it achieved after coming in 9th in 2015, with inhabitants giving their lives an average score of 7.314 out of 10. New Zealanders have a lot to be happy about; life expectancy is a year higher than the OECD average, the level of harmful pollutants in the air almost half the average and the water quality is top-notch, with 92% reporting satisfaction.

Community feeling is particularly strong - on average 88% of inhabitants of OECD countries know someone they believe they could depend upon in a time of need, but in New Zealand that figure is an impressive 99%. The nation leads the OECD’s community league table by a mile, scoring the full 10 points compared to runner-up Iceland’s 8.8.

Overall, New Zealand scores highly for environment and housing, while topping the league table for health as well as community.

9. Australia

The denizens of Australia scored their lives a cheery 7.284 on average when talking to Gallup.

Australia performs very well on the OECD indicators, although it’s worth noting that its worst score is for work-life balance, which puts it at 31st place out of 35 OECD members. The country meets the OECD average for employees who work very long hours, with a fifth of men working 50 hours or more each week. Only 6% of women work very long hours, however.

Australian work culture is one in which everyone is always willing to accept additional tasks and responsibilities; saying you’re too busy doesn’t go down too well. But on the flipside Australians like to socialise after work and often have the flexibility to come in early in order to leave early, which may better fit your lifestyle.

The country ranks comfortably in the top ten in terms of jobs and income; as it does with almost every indicator other than safety.

10. Sweden

According to Gallup, Swedish residents are just as satisfied with their lives as those of Australia, although the country loses out on the 9th spot due to how it fared with regard to the other factors measured by the UN report.

Sweden achieves a reasonable score in every category on the OECD Better Life Index, performing very well for environment, health and work-life balance.

In fact, Sweden recently finished a two-year trial of a six-hour working day for care workers at a retirement home in Gothenburg. The study found that, while it cost more to employ additional staff, working fewer hours reduced sick leave by 10% and improved perceived staff wellbeing by 50%.

Don’t write them off as lazy, however; Sweden is ranked as the 6th most competitive country in the world.

Happiness is Subjective

Remember folks, happiness is subjective. Norway may be ranked top in the world, but it doesn’t perform perfectly across all aspects of life. You may find that life there doesn’t necessarily offer the things you value most.

This list is still a useful guide, however. After all, who better to tell you what life in a certain country could be like for you than those already living there?

A beautiful writer with a concise and succinct style. She contributes regularly to monthly articles and round-ups for Everything Overseas. In the past year, Elizabeth has covered homes under £100,000 to Live and let's dine: 20 best places for food lovers.